


Saving Seungcheol

by sentientbeing



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst, Leader line, Regrets, ayo, chan breaks his wrist, im sorry sons, the summary makes it seem worse than it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 04:30:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7876576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sentientbeing/pseuds/sentientbeing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Yes sir,” Jihoon responds before Seungcheol can even register what’s happening. “Seungcheol isn’t in the right mental state to be a leader right now.”<br/>Not fit to lead. The words echo is Seungcheol’s head until all he can hear are those four words.<br/>“Are you suggesting that Seungcheol shouldn’t be the leader of Seventeen, Jihoon?" The CEO asks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saving Seungcheol

**Author's Note:**

> I'VE SINNED FORGIVE ME  
> I just had to write an angst fic about Seungcheol and Doyoon.

It’s a sunny day when Doyoon calls Seungcheol aside to tell him that he’s leaving Seventeen to become an actor.  
It’s funny, Seungcheol thinks as he walks to the Seventeen dorm in solitude, that it wasn’t raining or thundering like in the dramas. Like in the stupid dramas, Seungcheol thinks, the ones that Doyoon’s going to be in.  
Seungcheol spends the rest of the evening alone, not even coming out to eat dinner. He yells at Chan to go away when the maknae knocks, leaving Chan to sit in silence for the rest of the evening and wonder what he’s done wrong.  
When Seungcheol skips school the next day, no one says anything, though Junhui and Minghao mutter something in Mandarin to each other. Seungcheol is off for the rest of the week, ignoring the members, sleeping in class, and looking harried and angry at practice. Members ask what happened to Doyoon, and somewhere in Seungcheol’s head he thinks “This is the part where I’m supposed to step as the new leader and tell them what happened”. Seungcheol ignores that part of him and walks into his room.  
Seungcheol comes to the realization that he can’t have peace in his room (or his mind) when Jihoon pushes the door open and walks over to where Seungcheol lays on his bed, facing towards the wall.  
“Listen Seungcheol,” Jihoon says. “You can’t do this anymore. The rest of the members may not know that you’re the new leader, but I sure as hell know. What you’re doing right now is selfish. Everyone else is suffering just as much as you are, you know,” Jihoon spits. “You can’t ignore your responsibility forever.”  
“Why not?” Seungcheol says, staring right at the younger boy. “If pledis doesn’t like it, they can just kick me out, right?”  
Jihoon laughs bitterly, then runs a hand through his hair. “How long have you- have we trained for this?! How can you say that just because Doyoon decided he wanted to do something else? The rest of us are here!” Jihoon turns to leave, but then looks directly at Seungcheol as he says “I’m still here.” Seungcheol doesn’t respond as Jihoon leaves, simply rolls over to stare at the white, chipped wall.  
Jihoon stalks out of Seungcheol’s room, ignoring when Soonyoung asks him if Seungcheol’s really the new leader. Seungcheol doesn’t talk to Jihoon for a couple days.  
Then, suddenly, the leader line is called to the CEO’s office.  
“I’ve been hearing from Hyelim-ssi that there’s some problems with the leaders. Is this true?” The CEO asks.  
“Yes sir,” Jihoon responds before Seungcheol can even register what’s happening. “Seungcheol isn’t in the right mental state to be a leader right now.”  
“Soonyoung, do you believe that this is true, that Seungcheol isn’t fit to lead as of now?” The CEO asks the dancer.  
Not fit to lead. The words echo is Seungcheol’s head until all he can hear are those four words.  
“Are you suggesting that Seungcheol shouldn’t be the leader of Seventeen, Jihoon? That this ‘problem’ is something permanent?” The CEO says, leaning towards the vocalist.  
“I don’t think it’s unfixable,” Jihoon says firmly. “We have three leaders for a reason, and a lot of people would do the same in Seungcheol’s situation.”  
“But you didn’t,” The CEO points out.  
“No, but I came pretty close. It’s only because of Soonyoung that I’m not in the same position as him.” Jihoon insists. “We can help him. Give us time.”  
“Please, CEO-nim. We can do it.” Soonyoung pleads.  
“Alright. You have a week. I expect your team to be nearly perfect by next Tuesday. I will have someone supervising your practices.” The CEO agrees, then tells the three boys to leave.

 

Jihoon is pretty sure a week was not long enough. The young composer has done research- looked up articles on leadership, management, even what to do after a rough breakup, but none of the techniques are working on Seungcheol. The vocalist sits at his desk, his head in his hands and thinks ‘Can I save Seungcheol?’  
Funnily enough, a savior comes in the form of a fifteen year old boy.  
The thirteen boys are at practice when Chan trips and falls, screaming as he lands hard on his wrist. “Chan!” Soonyoung shouts, moving towards the boy. Suddenly, a blur is by Chan’s side, pushing everyone but Soonyoung and Jihoon away. “Back up please,” Seungcheol shouts. “He’s hurt his wrist, and Jihoon, Soonyoung and I are going to take him to the hospital.”  
The four boys are driven to the hospital by their choreographer, and the three leaders wait as Chan gets X-rayed and sent back out with a cast on his wrist. “Ow!" The three boys hear from down the hallway. “It hurts,” Chan says, extending his left hand.  
Seungcheol jogs to the fifteen year old, hugging him tightly. “You okay, kiddo?” He asks.  
“Of course not!” Chan pouts. “I just told you that it hurt!”  
“Sorry,” Seungcheol laughs. “How about I buy you ice cream to take your mind off the pain?”  
“I’m not five,” Chan grumbles but follows the leader down the hallway.  
As the two leave, Soonyoung looks at Jihoon and says “I think we’re gonna be alright.”  
Jihoon smiles softly and looks at the two retreating backs of Seungcheol and Chan. “Yeah, I think we are.”  
Two months later, the three leaders meet with the CEO again and talk about what's changed and how the group is. Seungcheol is nervous the entire meeting, only relaxing when the CEO looks at him and says "I'm glad you're the leader of Seventeen."


End file.
